An ambitious project that seeks to bring some culture to Langley’s Cascade Avenue corridor has received an extension.
During a meeting this week, the Langley City Council unanimously approved the one-year extension of a $45,000 contract awarded to Langley Creates, the city’s creative district that was established in 2020. The $45,000 comes from the city’s tourism funds.
The creative district plans to turn the Cascade bluff between Second and Sixth streets into an outdoor cultural museum, according to a memo. During the meeting, Joann Quintana, one of the project managers, explained that she and fellow project manager Inge Morascini have been working closely with the South Whidbey Historical Museum, Sno-Isle Libraries and local Indigenous peoples.
Work on the project, however, has come to a standstill because the city is in the midst of making changes to its critical areas ordinance and is in the process of finalizing a bluff management plan, which affects the area in question.
“Langley Creates has worked hard to obtain grants for the bluff project and would like to work with the city to continue to identify and obtain grants to help protect the bluff and transform it into a treasured community asset,” the memo stated.
Quintana and Morascini – who are both unpaid volunteers for the project – have amassed nearly $100,000 in grants, which hinge on the extension of the contract with the city getting approved.
“It’s a bit like knitting,” Morascini said. “If you drop a stitch, the whole sweater starts falling apart.”
She explained that the capital project began with a $15,000 grant from ArtsWA, also known as the Washington State Arts Commission, which operates the Creative Districts program.
Quintana said the top project that ArtsWA identified for Langley Creates to work on when the creative district was formed is the Cascade Avenue bluff.
“They feel that this integrates the downtown area with the arts and culture zone of our community, and we agree,” she told the council.
Additional grants for the project include $36,000 from Island County. Quintana and Morascini have also applied for a total of $100,000 in grants from two other sources of funding.
Finance Director Wanda Grone asked the project managers to submit a summary of the work they’ve done to date, and Councilmember Rhonda Salerno agreed that reports should be made for a project of this size.
The council soundly approved the request for Langley Creates’ contract to be extended to Dec. 31, 2024.
“I do hope that this is a boon for the community,” Councilmember Thomas Gill said. “I’ve been through some of the other creative districts. I’ve been very impressed with what work they’ve been able to do in their short times of existence, and I would love to see us be right up there with them.”
